Bert Calima

Bert was one of the silliest and funniest people you would ever meet. He effortlessly made friends with people from all walks of life with his great storytelling, friendliness, and charisma. He would genuinely make everyone around him laugh and have a great time together. He was always so happy and found humor in all things.

Born on October 25, 1948, in San Fernando City, Sevilla, La Union, Philippines, Bert spent most of his childhood in poverty with his older sister Nita, older brother Jun, and younger sister Alice. To help his family survive, he started working at a young age. He sold balut, weekend newspapers, and sweepstakes tickets in the town square, shined shoes of businessmen, helped his mom sell ice cream pandesals and monggo outside of his school, strapped luggages on the roof of moving busses as a bus conductor, and when he was older, he was a jeepney driver in San Fernando City and Manila.

On January 31, 1970, Bert met the love of his life, Perla, when he “crashed” a wedding party in Manila, Philippines. He went because he was hungry and a friend said there would be free fried chicken. He instantly fell in love at first sight when he saw beautiful Perla in the church. They dated for 6 long years, including 3 years physically separated by an entire ocean while Perla worked in the United States and Bert worked in the Philippines. During those 3 years apart, Bert wrote meaningful love letters to Perla every single day. When he earned enough money, he would make phone calls or send social telegrams to her overseas. He always made sure she knew his love for her was forever, strong, and true. In 1976, Perla flew back to Manila, Philippines to marry Bert - making him the happiest man on earth. After the wedding, they were separated overseas from each other again for another 6 months. In 1977, Perla petitioned for Bert’s US Green Card and brought him to the United States to start their new lives together as one. His only personal possessions when he arrived in the US were one suitcase full of clothes and $100 US Dollars in his pocket. Never in his life did he think he would move to America. He felt so grateful for it.

Bert worked hard to attend college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Feati University in Manila, Philippines on May 12, 1970. He became a professionally licensed Mechanical Engineer in the Philippines on February 3, 1975. Education was very important to him. Throughout his life, he helped other family members go to college in hopes they could also have a better life and more opportunities as well.

Bert’s dream of becoming a father finally came to fruition in September 1979. That’s when his first child, a baby boy named Mark, was born in Virginia. Then in December 1985, his second child, a baby girl named Rachel (also known as Little Bert), was born in Texas. The family of four was complete. Bert was the best father any child could have ever dreamed of. He was extremely loving, caring, dedicated, supportive, and hilarious. He was always there for his family through thick and thin. He never failed to find ways to give his family everything they ever needed or wanted. His love was endless, pure, and unconditional.

After working for decades with Captain I.S. Derrick in Houston as a Marine Surveyor inspecting client cargo shipments on huge cargo ships and in pipe yards around the country and world, he eventually worked his way up to becoming the primary business owner until he decided to retire in 2009 from the company. Then over the next handful of years, he occasionally took on certain projects through his own LLC company until he truly retired in 2015.

Sadly, Bert passed away on April 21, 2021.